The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-01-29
dIt' tIt I1utttHtUIc Suft
To John K, CoWan.

Corporation Counsel and Lobbyist at Wash
ington, Annapolis, Baltimore, Trenton,
Philadelphia, Albany and New York city
SIR am surprised that colleague who
had the honor to be associated with me in the
Reform movement of 1882 that resulted in
the election of the new Judges should so soon
have forgotten the services | rendered in that
contest, and as you ''prefer to discuss things
desire to recall some things" connected
with that "Great Moral Show" to your recol-
lection. -.a.-.
You will remember that in September, 1882,
you and the venerable S. Teackle Wallis,
R. NJ Venable, j. Hall Peasants and mum.
Der of other distinguished gentlemen formed
political mutual admiration society. Your
committee, early in the movement, invited
''Chas. E. Key to participate in your DELHI
erations, and urged me to accept the place OF
manager and executive of the eighteenth
ward in the interest of the ''Reform'' move
ment, and that it was only on the earnest
solicitation of the committee and your state
ment that was ''the most practical and use
full man in the ward for the management of
it, that accepted the position.
You will also remember that in the meeting
of the Executive Committee of the Reform
party you endorsed all my suggestions in re-
gard to the conduct of the campaign.
You will also remember that | desired to
retire from the Executive Committee on dis
covering that certain members of that com
mittee were supporting negro mistresses and
fathering mulatto children, but that you pro-
tested that you could not spare man of such
practical experience in politics, being aware
of the fact that the success of the great IRE
FORM movement depended not on THEORY,
but altogether on what was recognized as
"PRAcTICAL" politics. You will remember
on the eve of election, when the Executive
of the fourteenth ward was compelled to re-
tire from the management of that ward at the
direction of the Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road Company, | was earnestly requested
by your committee to take control of that
ward also in the interest of the great "Re-
FORM movement. In. stunning this respon-
sibility did twice tf-.yamount of labor done
by any other ward executive in your interest,
the result being that the fourteenth ward
gave S21 majority and the eighteenth ward
iGr majority, the total majority being 1.42S
for the @SSreat Moral Show" which result
was SO gratifyinE>to you that | received an
ovation on ny entering your iiAlseetIng on lie.
night of thel lection, at which time it was
suggested that i should be continued as the
Executive of the eighteenth ward in the
cause of Reform" for the ensuing year. |
admit that these gratifying results were aided
by the abundant funds received from your
committee, and while | did not expend them
in the way you suggested-for you remember
saying "Charley, put it where it will do the
most good''-yet the legitimate use i made of
the ''sinews of war" was serviceable in eff
fecting the ends you desired, and it was a
source of qualification to me to be able to re-
turn to your committee nearly 5000 of the
amount.
You will remember that as an evidersA
your appreciation Of these SERVICES Your com
mittee named me as the Executive of the
eighteenth ward in 1888, and in the letter of
the president of your committee, (now before
me-, dated June s, 1888, | was empowered to
name the Judges and clerks and polling places
of the eighteenth ward, having previously,
at the suggestion of your committee, named
all the delegates to the City Convention of
the Young Democracy" the result being
that the eighteenth ward returned seven del
egates for the "Great Moral Show to one
for the Regular Democracy, which resulted in
the election of General Brown as chairman of
the City Convention.
Under these circumstances, having endeav-
ored to discharge my duty as citizen in the
interest of the taxpayers of the city of my
birth, | must express my surprise that gem
tleman who claims so much, but OF whose
origin and history so llttle is known, VINO
certainly pays no taxes in support of the gov
eminent which protects him, who has been
brought here only to exhaust his talents in
behalf of soulless corporation, should now
deuounce me in print as one of the terminal
class" who govern the city.
| presume that l did not belong to the
"criminal class in 1928, when | was
trusted, admired, pomnlimented by you and
yours, otherwise your sanity political purity
would have been soiled by the association,
and am no more criminal now than then:
| hold no political office; ! govern no one. |
am simply citizen and taxpayer. | owe no
man anything, and for my commercial stand
ing 1 can refer to some of the leading mer-
camille houses in this city.
In conclusion, permit me to suggest that it
might relieve the evident tension of your
nerves and better prepare you for that pure
and exalted sphere to which so good a man
will doubtless go in the great beyond if you
we're to remove from the midst Of this sinful
community to some other place, where politi-
cal morality is indebted by lobbyists and cor
poration lawyers. CHAs. Il. KEY,
4O4 Hollins street, Baltimore, Md.